These healthy gluten-free applesauce muffins are vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, mini bites, and 100% toddler-approved! An easy and quick recipe to bake and perfect for customizing with delicious add-ins! Freezer-friendly and great for a make-ahead breakfast or meal-prep snack for on-the-go moments!
What’s better than a muffin? Mini muffins of course! They’re snackable, almost too easy to make, perfect for little grabbing hands and hungry bellies! When we’re all short on time, busy, on-the-go, but want healthy food options for our families, healthy mini muffins are always here to save the day! A simple recipe for applesauce muffins that’s gluten-free, top allergen-free, vegan, and sugar-free is just the solution you need to bake once and have on hand when those “I need a healthy toddler snack…fast!” occasions occur!
What’s in healthy applesauce muffins?
All you need is six simple pantry essentials I know you have on hand! I like to call these mini muffins a “base recipe”. One you can make once and learn by heart. Putting it right on the “Meal Prep Sunday” recipe list and prime for customizing to you have your families preferences with fun and creative add-ins! A little muffin personality can go a long way 😉 Here’s what you’ll always need:
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Granulated Sugar-Free Sweetener
- Vanilla Extract
- Applesauce
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
Muffin Add-In Ideas:
- Cinnamon (100% recommend adding this!)
- Ground Spices or Herbs (allspice, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, etc.)
- Dried Fruits (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
- Seeds or Nuts (depending on allergy needs!)
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Flax or Chia Seeds
- Fresh Fruits (blueberries, banana, etc.)
- Jams, Jellies, Spreads
- Seed or Nut Butters
- Coconut Shreds or Flakes
- Superfood Powders and Enhancers
Homemade applesauce vs store-bought vs baby food
I would love you to use my homemade slow cooker applesauce, but of course, if we want to keep things super duper easy and quick store-bought natural and unsweetened applesauce will do just fine. So will a jar of baby food apple puree! Call these the ultimate baby food muffins if you will (you may remember I am a big supporter of using baby food in baking recipes!)
Can you substitute something else for applesauce?
Any fruit or veggie puree will do! Even combine some! A little banana, a little apple. Maybe some carrot or pumpkin? Use baby food jars if you are! This will keep things so simple. You can also use non-dairy yogurt if you’d like!
How to make basic muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix together the dry flour, baking powder, and sweetener in a bowl.
- Add in the vanilla, applesauce, and non-dairy milk.
- Mix together, to form and smooth batter and folding in any add-ins you decide to use!
- Grease a 24-count mini muffin tin and scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each cup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool!
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5-7 days.
Mini vs. Standard Muffin Size
These mini applesauce muffins are meant to be toddler muffins, aka: “healthy muffins for babies” in terms of tiny size, simple ingredients, and picky-eater-ending add-in customizations. However, you can make this same basic muffin batter and bake it in a standard size muffin tin. A mini muffin tin is 1/3 the size of a standard 12-count muffin tin. This recipe will yield approximately 8 standard size muffins. Increase the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
To line or not to line your muffin tin
I don’t recommend lining your muffin tins! Whether you make these mini muffins for kids or standard-size for adults, a paper liner is a waste and always gets stuck to the muffin anyway! Make sure to grease the cups or you tin very well and you’ll be good to go! They pop out so easily and just need to be cooled off on a wire rack.
How to freeze them:
You will need to cool your baked muffins completely on a wire rack. This recipe is great for a day of meal prep or when you’re batching cooking make-ahead meals and recipes for the week (or month!). Once the muffins are cool, Place them flat on a baking sheet or in a container to freeze for a few hours. Once frozen transfer them to a large storage freezer bag or airtight container for longer storage. They’ll be of best quality when used within 3-4 months.
Ways to defrost them:
- Take out the number of muffins you’ll need and thaw them at room temperature.
- Microwave them for about 30-60 seconds in a moist paper towel.
- Reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until soft.
The healthiest muffins
These basic mini muffins are healthy and wholesome for the whole family and no matter the dietary needs or food allergies you need to cook for! When you customize them, you’ll be able to get even the pickiest of eaters to give them a big seal of approval! They’re:
- Gluten-Free
- Top Allergen-Free (Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut, Peanut, Wheat, Sesame, Corn, etc.)
- Vegan
- Sugar-Free
- Oil-Free (The applesauce replacing the oil and the eggs in this recipe! #applepower!)
That’s why they also can be used for a quick and easy breakfast, snack option for toddlers, lunchboxes, afterschool, or on-the-go, in the car, at sports practice, etc. If you add in something a little sweet like chocolate chips, they can even be a healthy dessert option for serving a crowd (all those school classroom parties!).
Other Mini Muffin Recipes:
- Banana Sunflower Mini Muffins
- Mini Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Bites
- Mini Cornbread Muffin Bites
- Mini Gingerbread Muffin Bites
Gluten-Free Applesauce Muffins
Healthy Gluten-Free Mini Applesauce Muffins (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
These healthy gluten-free applesauce muffins are vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, mini bites, and 100% toddler-approved! An easy and quick recipe to bake and perfect for customizing with delicious add-ins! Freezer-friendly and great for a make-ahead breakfast or meal-prep snack for on-the-go moments!
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/3 to 1/2 Cup Granulated Erythritol (or preferred granulated sweetner)*
- 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 6 TB Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix together the dry flour, baking powder, and sweetener in a large bowl.
- Add in the vanilla, applesauce, and non-dairy milk.
- Mix together to form and smooth batter and fold in any add-ins you decide to use, at this point.
- Grease a 24-count mini muffin tin and scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each cup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Transfer the mini muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5-7 days or freeze.
Notes
*Depending on how sweet you want these muffins and/or the sweetness of your applesauce, you can actually leave out the sweetner entirely!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-4
Keywords: easy, quick, healthy, applesauce, mini muffins, toddler muffins, gluten-free muffins, muffin bites, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, allergy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, coconut-free, sesame-free, kid-friendly
You know my obsession with copycat Entenmann’s Little Bites (Muffin Bites). This basic mini muffin recipe is that secret base formula for recreating any of those flavors or…if you want to make the fudge brownie bites, I’ve got you covered too! To start, I think these applesauce muffin bites are just the thing to get those creative juices flowing (or just be a lifesaver in the healthy toddler snack department!)
So tell me:
+ What add-ins do you want to try? Cinnamon! I originally said it was part of the base recipe, but you don’t “have to” add it.
———————————————-
Stay connected: Facebook: Strength and Sunshine Twitter: @RebeccaGF666 Instagram: rebeccagf666 Pinterest: RebeccaGF666 Bloglovin’: Strength and Sunshine
Carol
Hi Rebecca,
I have multiple food allergies and this recipe will work great for me. Thank you for creating the recipe!
Do you have approximate amounts for any “add-ins”? Spices, dried fruit or seeds/nuts?
Carol
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
There really isn’t an amount. However loaded you want to make them.
Stella Jons
It is very yummy.. I have made it last Sunday. My family liked this very much
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So glad to hear that!
Shelly Maynard
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I am always looking for quick, easy, and delicious recipes to use for my boys’ lunch boxes and after-school snacks. I love to make these ahead of time and freeze. I can put a bag in their lunch and they’re perfect by lunch time. They’ve also loved these for refueling after workouts and football practice.
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! They’ll thaw and be ready to munch in no time! Enjoy 🙂
Carolyn
I am so happy to have found these. My son has multiple food allergies, and I love finding recipes we can make. I will try them – thanks for sharing this!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Fantastic! Let me know how they work for you 🙂
Judee
So cute and such a great idea for snacks for kids!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yup, exactly.
Toni
I could eat an entire batch of these muffins! So good!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
When you give them some customizations!
Aarika
These look amazing! I love muffins, and these sound healthy AND delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Make them just how you like!
Molly
Oh, YUM! I love baking with applesauce and these sound so good. I love that they’re tiny–perfect little snacks with a cup of coffee!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sure, totally adult-friendly too.
Suzan | It's My Sustainable Life
Hi Rebecca! Found you this morning and pinning this for my daughter…so versatile. Thanks for sharing it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They so are! Hope you make them, Suzan 🙂
Ella @ Typical Mummy
As a coeliac I’m always looking for healthy gluten-free treats and these look perfect!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Wouldn’t call these treats though! Essentials!
Cindy
I’m excited to try these! So simple and healthy. Can’t wait to try various add ins.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
An essential base recipe to know!
Dorothy Reinhold
I am so excited to try every single one of your add in suggestions!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
A new batch every week!
Perri
These muffins are so cute! I am definitely going to have to try this recipe! Both my husband and my oldest son are muffin fiends so I’m sure it would be a hit at my house.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Muffins are THE BEST! Haha!
Indya | The Small Adventurer
I LOVE applesauce – my partner and I will eat it right out of the jar – but I’ve never thought about putting it in desserts before! We usually have ours with pork (which makes an already perfect meal even better), but next time I’ll try to restrain myself from eating it by itself and try adding it to some muffins instead 😋
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Applesauce really isn’t the highlight here. You don’t “taste” applesauce. It’s just a vegan allergy-free “egg” and moisture for gluten-free baked goods. This is just a plain toddler muffin recipe for baby-led weaning and a base recipe to use for your own baking experiments.
Leigh Suznovich
Seriously perfect looking muffins for fall!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Year-round, but you can make them “fall” with some pumpkin perhaps!
Stephany
What a perfect snack! I’m going to add these to my daughter lunch!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly what they’re for 🙂
Anthony Allen
These did NOT disappoint. As always, they were incredible. I get so excited to make your recipes because I have no worries about not liking them. Thank you for creating this healthy and delicious muffin for me and my family!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So glad to hear that!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
Why are all mini treats so darn adorable?! I love the fact I could add whatever I’d love to these! Yum!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
My favorite things to make! Mini everything!
Morgan
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It looks amazing and I love that it’s both GF and vegan. I’ll definitely be adding cinnamon in when I make these.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They’d be boring without!
Christa
My toddler loves mini muffins! This is such a better alternative to the packaged ones at the store. I can’t wait to try these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, the healthiest “Little Bites”!
Malissa
I can’t wait to make these for my dad. He needs a gluten free diet and gets tired of the same bread.
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Alright then.
Maria
So want to try this recipe, being vegetarian I love a good vegan recipes!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
If you’re only a “vegetarian” than muffins shouldn’t be a problem.
Siobhan
agree, cinnamon would be a great addition
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Gotta have it!
Nipa
I have lots of applesauce in my pantry that no one seems to be eating so this is just what I was looking for! I would sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, alright, well there you go!
Caroline
These look delicious!
★★★★★
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks.
Annaliese Lemieux-Kaplan
So tasty! I’ve made applesauce muffins before and they’re great for breakfast or snacks!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect plain muffin base!
Geeky Daddy
My toddler’s 2 favorite things are this planet right now are 1) Muffins and 2) Apple sauce so these are perfect!
His top 5 are muffins, apple sauce, cars, trains and trucks. I don’t think Daddy has cracked the top 25 in a while…
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well, there you go!
Melissa
Applesauce muffins are seriously delicious and no one ever believes me when I tell them that!! Going to have to make this for my next book club, thank you!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Just a plain muffin. But “applesauce muffins” sounds better than “plain muffins”!
Katie
This looks so delicious, I am always on the hunt for gluten-free recipes and I am also lactose intolerant so this is the perfect sweet treat for me! Going to try that soon!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These aren’t so sweet, but you can add sweetness if you’d like.
Steve
These muffins look great! I’m going to try this one out. I have all the ingredients already. Thanks for posting!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect! So simple, right?
Kimmy Mason
These like tasty! I’ll have to try them with my son 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know he’ll love them 🙂